There are quite a few soft play centres around Bristol and we have finally decided to go on a big tour and explore them. As far as I know, most of them are in North Bristol, but I think there are quite a few hidden gems south of the river that are waiting to be discovered by us over the next couple of months.
Recently, we went to a soft play centre in Whitchurch/Bristol and I have to say that I was really impressed with it. Ben’s sister Charlotte had told us about it before, but for some reason I thought soft play would not be my cup of tea. A bit selfish really as it’s not about me at all, but I just thought it would be horrible and a waste of money. It wasn’t though. The weather was really grim, typically British really, and we had absolutely nothing to do, so one Thursday morning, we decided to brave it and drive over to Whitchurch. The soft play centre is only a couple of minutes away where we live and although the actual building looked more like an old factory from the outside, the inside really convinced me. The soft play centre is part of Action Indoor Sports, an indoor sports complex in Whitchurch that houses indoor cricket nets, football fields and much more, and is a really well equipped and set out space for toddlers and pre-schoolers.
The play area is divided into four parts: the actual soft play area, a cushioned area for babies as well as an area for role play and a big open space that allows children to use baby walkers or toy cars. Amy was completely in love with the two-story soft play area that features a ball pool, two slides, climbing nets and much much more, but if your little ones are after some quiet time, they won’t be disappointed either. There is a good selection of toys available for them to choose from, all of them suitable for children of different age groups. I only caught a short glimps of them, but there were play kitchens, music and drawing tables, walkers and bobby cars in use and all of them looked very well looked after.
The seating area for parents, grandparents or child-minders is comfortable and spacious and most of all, it allows you to keep a close eye on your children without ending up in the firing line of flying balls and bouncing toddlers. Overall, the Action Indoor Sports soft play centre in Whitchurch/Bristol is a great place for parents and children. It’s clean, friendly and really good value. Non-alcoholic drinks at the bar cost around £1 and there are a variety of snacks and heartier meals available too. Kids pay an entrance fee based on their age and can usually play as long as they want. On overly busy days, playtime will be restricted to 2 hours per child, which really isn’t a problem, if you ask me. Amy was absolute exhausted after two hours of jumping, running and sliding and slept for a good three hours that afternoon, so I really think two hours are a fair amount of time.
Opening times:
Monday – Saturday 9am – 6pm
Sunday – 10am – 5pm
Prices (you get a minimum of 2h)
0-9 months £1.00
9 months – 2 years £2.50
2 years upwards (to 1.4m high) £4.50
Address: Action Indoor Sports, Bamfield,Whitchurch, Bristol BS14 0XA Tel: 0117 903 1434
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